We are pleased to bring you an exclusive interview with His Excellency, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, conducted by Dániel Fülep of the John Henry Newman Center of Higher Education in Hungary.
Note: This interview was conducted in March, before the release of Amoris Latitia. To read the full interview -- including questions and answers pertaining to the two synods -- go here.
About
the Second Vatican Council
Mr. Fülep: At a theological conference in Rome in
December2010 you proposed the need for "a new Syllabus”[1]
in which papal teaching authority should correct erroneous interpretations of
the documents of the Second Vatican Council.[2]
What do you think nowadays?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: I think that, in our time of confusion,
it is absolutely necessary to have such a Syllabus. Syllabus means a list, an
enumeration of dangers, confused statements, misinterpretations and so on; an
enumeration of the most wide-spread and common errors in every area such as
dogma, morals and liturgy. On the other hand, one should also clarify and
positively assess the same points. It will come surely because the Church has
always issued very clear clarifications, especially after times of confusion.
Mr. Fülep: ”Aggiornamento” was the name given to the pontifical program of John XXIII in a
speech on January 25, 1959, and it was one of the key words used during the Second Vatican Council. What is the correct interpretation of
this phrase?
His
Excellency Bishop Schneider: For Pope John XXIII, "aggiornamento”
was not changing the truth, but explaining it in a more profound and
pedagogical manner so that people can better understand and accept it. The pope
stressed that "aggiornamento” means keeping the faith in its entirety. It was
after the Council that this word was radically misused to change the faith. It
was not the intention of John XXIII.
Mr. Fülep: Another misunderstood term is “participatio actuosa”.[3] Even according to clerics, it means that preferably everybody should receive a task during liturgy. It's as if this term referred to hustle-bustle or activism. The idea of internal activity doesn't even come up.
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: The first person to use the expression
"participatio actuosa” was Pope Pius X in his famous motu proprio Tra le Sollecitudini [4] concerning
sacred music. The pope speaks about ”participatio actuosa” and explains that it
means that the faithful must be conscious of the sacred words and rites during
the Holy Mass, participating consciously rather than distractedly. Their heart
and their mouth have to be in accord with each another. Practically, the same
meaning can be found in the document “Sacrosantum Concilium” of the Second
Vatican Council,[5]
we cannot find there any major reinterpretation of the term. And Sacrosanctum
Concilium teaches that in practice participatio actuosa means listening,
answering, singing, kneeling and also being silent. It was the first time that
the Magisterium had spoken about silence as a form of participatio actuosa. So
we have to destroy some myths about ”articipatio actuosa”.
About the crisis of the Church
Mr. Fülep: Nowadays we have to realise that there is a deep fault line within the Church. The picture is very complex, but simplistically we can say that there is a painful confrontation between modernism and tradition. How can Your Excellency explain this dichotomy of the life of the Church?
About the crisis of the Church
Mr. Fülep: Nowadays we have to realise that there is a deep fault line within the Church. The picture is very complex, but simplistically we can say that there is a painful confrontation between modernism and tradition. How can Your Excellency explain this dichotomy of the life of the Church?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: We have already been living and
experiencing this dichotomy for 50 years since the Council. On the one hand,
there are positive signs in the Church. On the other hand, real errors are
spread by some bishops and priests. Such a situation is contrary to the nature
of the Church. Jesus Christ commanded the apostles and his successors to keep
the treasure of the faith, i.e. the Catholic faith, intact, thus the apostles
even died for this faith. Those who have authority in the Church must act
against such a situation and correct it.
Mr. Fülep: If we analyse the life of the Church, we can realize that we are living in an extraordinary
time. Apostasy is general maybe everywhere, and heresies run riot:
modernism, conciliarism, archaism etc. Unfortunately, we see the signs of
heresy among bishops, too. Historians say that this crisis reminds us of the
time of Arianism. If this comparison is correct, what is the similarity between
the time of the Arianism and our days?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: The Arian crisis in the 4th century did
cause a general confusion in the entire Church. So the heresy or the
half-truths and ambiguities concerning the divinity of Christ were widely
spread at that time. There remained only very few bishops who opposed openly
such a heresy and the ambiguity which was represented by the so-called
Semi-Arians. In those days only politically correct clerics were promoted to
higher ecclesiastical offices as bishops, because the government of those times
supported and promoted the heresy. In a way it is similar to our time. In our time
not only one specific doctrine of faith is denied, but there is a general
confusion almost in all aspects of Catholic doctrine, morals and liturgy. In
our days as well, most bishops are quite silent or fearful regarding the
defence of the Catholic faith. Therefore my answer is ‘yes’, there are
similarities.
Mr. Fülep: Some suggest that it would be important
that a new dogma should define the term ‘tradition’ and clearly outline the
connections of tradition with papacy, the councils, the Magisterium etc. This
new dogma could defend the tradition against e.g. conciliarism or an incorrect
interpretation of papal primacy. What is your opinion about this?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: We have a II Vatican Council document
about divine revelation Dei Verbum[6] and
there are very beautiful statements in it. It says that the Magisterium, the
pope is not above the word of God or the Tradition but, as a servant of the
written and orally transmitted (= tradition) word of God, he is below it. One
should also stress that the pope, the papacy is not the owner of tradition or
liturgy but he must preserve them as a good gardener. The pope must preserve
and defend the tradition as a faithful servant. I think it would be good to
deepen the reflection about the relationship between the Magisterium and
Tradition.
Mr. Fülep: Today, the Catholic faithful must
experience the weakness and the dysfunctions of the Magisterium: without
exaggeration I dare say that in the official Catholic media you can hear, read
or see gross errors, ambiguities, what’s more, heresies from high-ranking
priests, sad to say, bishops and higher church dignitaries, too, almost every
day. A significant portion of official utterances – also the highest – is
confusing, contradictory, deceiving many faithful. What
should the Catholic faithful do in these difficult times? How can we remain
true to the faith in this situation? What is our duty?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: In the history of the Church there have
always been times of a profound crisis of the faith and morals. The deepest and
most dangerous crisis was undoubtedly the Arian crisis in the 4th century. It
was a mortal attack against the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. In those
times it was practically the simple faithful that saved the Catholic faith. In
analysing that crisis, Blessed John Henry
Newman said that it was the “ecclesia
docta” (that means the faithful who receive instruction from the clergy)
rather than the “ecclesia docens”
(that means the holders of the ecclesiastical Magisterium) who saved the
integrity of the Catholic faith in the 4th century. In times of profound crisis
the Divine Providence likes to use the simple and humble ones to demonstrate
the indestructibility of His Church. The following affirmation of Saint Paul
can also be applied to the internal situation of the Church: “God chose that which the world considers
foolish to shame the wise; God chose that which the world considers weak to
shame the strong” (1 Cor 1,27). When the simple faithful observe that
representatives of the clergy, and even of the high clergy, neglect the
Catholic faith and proclaim errors, they should pray for their conversion, they
should repair the faults of the clergy through a courageous witness of the
faith. Sometimes, the faithful should also advise and correct the clergy, yet
always with respect, that is, following the principle of the “sentire cum
ecclesia”, as for example Saint Catharine of Siena and Saint Brigid of Sweden
did it. In the Church we all constitute one body, the Mystical Body of Christ.
When the head (the clergy) is weak, the rest of the members should try to
strengthen the whole body. Ultimately, the Church is guided by the invisible
Head, who is Christ and is animated by its invisible soul, who is the Holy
Spirit. Therefore the Church is indestructible.
Confusing and
ambiguous video message
Mr. Fülep: Pope Francis revealed his
prayer intention of interreligious dialogue for January in a video message.[7] The Holy Father states that he prays "that sincere dialogue between
men and women of different religions may yield fruits of peace and justice.” In
the video we see the Argentine Pope with believers of other religions,
including Jews, Muslims and Buddhists, who each profess their faith and
together declare that they believe in love. The Pope calls for interreligious
dialogue, noting, “Most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves
believers,” and therefore, “This should lead to dialogue among religions”.
“Only through dialogue”, he underscores, “will we be able to eliminate
intolerance and discrimination”. Noting that interreligious dialogue is “a
necessary condition” for world peace,” the Pope says, “We must not cease
praying for it or collaborating with those who think differently.” He also
expresses his hope that his prayer request spreads to all people. “In this wide
range of religions”, Pope Francis concludes, “there is only one certainty we
have for all: we are all children of God”, and says he has confidence in our
prayers. In the last picture we can see the Little Jesus among Buddha, the
Menorah and a Muslim prayer chain. If we believe that Jesus Christ is the only
Son of the God, and the Catholic Church, the acceptance of the faith and
baptism are necessary to salvation[8],
and we know that the divine filiation is the fruit of justification, seeing
this video we get embarrassed…
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Of course. Unfortunately, this
statement of the pope is highly confusing and ambiguous. There is confusion
because he is putting on the same plateau the natural level according to which
all people are creatures of God and the supernatural level according to which
only those who believe in Christ and receive baptism are children of God. Only
those are children of God who believe in Christ, who are not born of the flesh
or the blood, which is the natural level, but who are born from God through
faith in Christ and baptism. This is declared by God Himself in the Gospel of
John.[9]
The above mentioned statement of the pope contradicts in some way the word of
God itself. And, as Saint Paul wrote, it is only in Christ[10]
and through the Holy Spirit who is poured out in our heart that we can say “Abba,
Father”. Based on the word of God, it is absolutely clear. Of course, Christ
has shed His blood to redeem everybody, every human being. This is objective
redemption. And therefore every human being can become a child of God when he
subjectively accepts Christ through faith and baptism. So we must make these differences
absolutely clear.
Neocathecumenal
Way is a Protestant-Jewish community
Mr. Fülep: While the tradition is
persecuted, there are some
new modern movements which are highly
supported. One of them is the community of Kiko. What is your opinion about the
Neocatechumenal Way?[11]
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: This is a very complex and sad
phenomenon. To speak openly: It is a Trojan horse in the Church. I know them
very well because I was an episcopal delegate for them for several years in
Kazakhstan in Karaganda. And I assisted their Masses and meetings and I read
the writings of Kiko, their founder, so I know them well. When I speak openly
without diplomacy, I have to state: The Neocathecumenate is a Protestant-Jewish[12]
community inside the Church with a Catholic decoration only. The most dangerous
aspect is regarding the Eucharist, because the Eucharist is the heart of the
Church. When the heart is in a bad way, the whole body is in a bad way. For the
Neocatechumenate, the Eucharist is primarily a fraternal banquet. This is a
Protestant, a typically Lutheran attitude.[13]
They reject the idea and the teaching of the Eucharist as a true sacrifice.
They even hold that the traditional teaching of, and belief in, the Eucharist
as a sacrifice is not Christian but pagan.[14]
This is completely absurd, this is typically Lutheran, Protestant. During their
liturgies of the Eucharist they treat the Most Holy Sacrament in such a banal
manner, that it sometimes becomes horrible.[15]
They sit while receiving Holy Communion, and then they lose the fragments
because they do not take care of them, and after Communion they dance instead
of praying and adoring Jesus in silence. This is really worldly and pagan,
naturalistic.
Mr. Fülep: The problem may be not just practical…
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: The second danger is their ideology.
The main idea of the Neocathecumenate according their founder Kiko Argüello is
the following: the Church had an ideal life only until Constantine in the 4th
century, only this was effectively the real Church. And with Constantine the
Church started to degenerate: doctrinal degeneration, liturgical and moral
degeneration.[16]
And the Church reached the rock bottom of this degeneration of doctrine and
liturgy with the decrees of the Council of Trent. However, contrary to his
opinion, the opposite is true: this was one of the highlights of the history of
the Church because of the clarity of doctrine and discipline. According to
Kiko, the dark age of the Church lasted from the 4th century until the Second
Vatican Council. It was only with Vatican Council II that light came into the
Church. This is heresy because this is to say that the Holy Spirit abandoned
the Church. And this is really sectarian and very much in line with Martin
Luther, who said that until him the Church had been in darkness and it was only
through him that there was light in the Church. The position of Kiko is
fundamentally the same only that Kiko postulates the dark time of the Church
from Constantine to Vatican II. So they misinterpret the Second Vatican
Council. They say that they are apostles of Vatican II. Thus they justify all
their heretical practices and teachings with Vatican II. This is a grave abuse.
Mr. Fülep: How could this community be officially
admitted by the Church?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: This is another tragedy. They
established a powerful lobby in the Vatican at least thirty years ago. And
there is another deception: at many events they present very many fruits of
conversion and many vocations to the bishops. A lot of bishops are blinded by
the fruits, and they don’t see the errors, and don’t examine them. They have
large families, they have a lot of children, and they have a high moral
standard in family life. This is, of course, a good result. However, there is
also a kind of exaggerated behaviour to press the families to get a maximum
number of children. This is not healthy. And they say, we are accepting Humanae Vitae,[17]
and this is, of course, good. But in the end this is an illusion, because there
are also quite a lot of Protestant groups today in the world with a high moral
standard, who also have a great number of children, and who also go and protest
against the gender ideology, homosexuality, and who also accept Humanae Vitae. But, for me, this is not
a decisive criterion of truth! There are also a lot of Protestant communities
who convert a lot of sinners, people who lived with addictions such as
alcoholism and drugs. So the fruit of conversions is not a decisive criterion for
me and I will not invite this good Protestant group which converts sinners and
has a lot of children to my diocese to engage in apostolate. This is the
illusion of many bishops, who are blinded by the so-called fruits.
Mr. Fülep: What is the quoin stone of doctrine?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: The doctrine of the Eucharist. This is
the heart. It is an error to look first at the fruits and ignore or not take
care of doctrine and liturgy. I am sure that there will come the time when the
Church objectively examines this organisation in depth without the pressure of
the lobbies of the Neocathecumenal Way, and their errors in doctrine and
liturgy will truly come out.
Christ is the
only Redeemer
Mr. Fülep: Fifty years ago, the declaration Nostra
aetate[18]
of the Second Vatican Council was promulgated. Its fourth article presents the
relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people in a new
theological framework. This writing is one of the most problematical and
controversial council documents, among other things, because of statements
about the Jews. And now for this semi-centenary a new document[19]was
written by Cardinal Kurt Koch on behalf of the Holy See, where we can read that
"the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional
mission work directed towards Jews.”[20] Is Jesus'
mission command[21]
no longer valid?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: It is impossible because it would be
absolutely contrary to the word of Christ. Jesus Christ said: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel” (Mt 15,24). And his mission continues, he has not
abolished it. He said that “go to all
nations and make them my disciples”[22]
rather than “go to all nations with the exception of the Jews”. The above
statement implies this. This is absurd. This is against the will of God and
against the entire history of the life of the Church in two thousand years. The
Church has always preached to everyone irrespective of his nation and religion.
Christ is the only Redeemer. Today the Jews reject the covenant of God. There
is only one covenant of God: the Old Covenant was only preparatory and achieved
his aim in the New and Everlasting Covenant. That’s also the teaching of the
Second Vatican Council: "The principal purpose
to which the plan of the old covenant was directed was to prepare for the
coming of Christ. God, the inspirer and author of both Testaments, wisely
arranged that the New Testament be hidden in the Old and the Old be made
manifest in the New” (Dei Verbum, 15–16). The Jewish rejected this
Divine covenant, since Jesus told them: "Whoever
hates me also hates my Father” (Jn 15,23). These words of Jesus are still
valid for today’s Jews: "Heaven and earth
will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mk 13,31). And Jesus said
that if you do not accept me, you cannot go to the Father.[23]
When today’s Jews reject Christ, they reject the Father and his covenant, too.
Because there is ultimately one covenant only, not two covenants: the Old went
over to the New Covenant. Because there is one God, there aren’t two gods: a
god of the Old Testament, and a god of the New Testament. This is gnostic
heresy. This is the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Talmud. Today the
Jewish are the Talmudist disciples of the Pharisees, who rejected the Covenant
of God in His new and eternal covenant. However, the just Jews in the Old
Testament – the prophets, Abraham and Moses – accepted Christ. Jesus told this,
so we have to point it out, too.
Mr. Fülep: While the Nostra aetate closely related
to John Paul II called the Jews “elder brothers”, pope Benedict XVI used the
“fathers in faith” form. But the Jews in the Old Testament and Talmudic Judaism
are two quite different things, aren’t they?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Yes, of course. Unfortunately, these
expressions of these two popes are also in some degree ambiguous. They are not
clear. So when these words are to mean that the Jews are our elder brothers, we
have to point out that only the Jews of the Old Testament – the Prophets,
Abraham and all the saints of the Old Testament – are our elder brothers. This
is correct because they already accepted Christ, not explicitly but at the
level of the prefigures and symbols, and Abraham even explicitly, as Christ
Himself told: "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (John 8,56). But
how can we say it about today’s Jews of the Talmud who reject Christ and have
no faith in Christ and the Holy Trinity? How can they be our elder brothers if
they have no faith in Christ? What are they supposed to teach me? I have faith
in Christ and the Holy Trinity. But they reject the Holy Trinity, so they have
no faith. Therefore they can never be my elder brothers in faith.
Dialog with the
Islam
Mr. Fülep: Islam is the most commonly
practiced religion in Kazakhstan.[24] Traditionally, ethnic
Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims.
What is your experience about the dialogue with them? Islam is said to be
similar to Christianity or Judaism because they believe in one God, thus
monotheism is supposed to be the basis of conversation. But is that really so?
Is it possible to engage in deep theological dialogue with them? Is Allah the
same as the Holy Trinity? Is there any basis of theological dialogue if Islam
hates the faith of the Incarnation?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: There is also some confusion when one
says that the Jews, the Muslims, and the Christians follow monotheistic
religions. This is quite confusing. Why? Because we, Christians always believe
not only in one God, but in the Triune God, in God, the Most Holy Trinity. We
do not believe only in one God as every human person can by the light of
natural reason. The Jews and the Muslims believe in one God who is one person
only. This is heresy, this is not true. God is not one person, God is three
persons. And what’s more, they have no faith because they only believe that God
is one but this doesn’t require faith, only natural reason. There is the dogma
of faith which states that by the natural light of natural reason every person
can recognise that God is one. We have a supernatural faith, and this is a
substantial difference.
Objectively,
God, who is known through reason, is, of course, the Holy Trinity. But the Jews
and the Muslims do not accept the Holy Trinity. So we cannot pray together
because their worship manifests their conviction that there is only one God,
one person. But we, Christians always adore God in three persons. Always. So we
cannot perform the same worship. It wouldn’t be true. It would be a
contradiction and a lie.
Mr. Fülep: Does that mean that the two World Days of Prayer for Peace in Assisi[25] represented a scandalous contradiction?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Unfortunately, the World Days of Prayer
which were held in Assisi contained and manifested a confusion regarding the
substantial difference between the prayer of Christians, which is always
directed to the Most Holy Trinity and the prayer of people who recognize God as
the Creator and one Person by the light of natural reason and worship Him
according to natural reason. The most grievous aspect at the interreligious
prayer meetings in Assisi was, however, the fact that there participated also
representatives of polytheistic religions, who performed their cult directed
towards idols, hence practiced a real idolatry, which is the greatest sin
according to the Holy Scripture.
"Migration is
artificially planned and programmed"
Mr. Fülep: What is your own view about the
migration crisis in Europe? What is the good Catholic attitude to it?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: This is more or less a political issue.
It is not the first task of bishops to make political statements. But as a
private person, not as a bishop, I would say that the so-called “migration” is
artificially planned and programmed, one can even speak of a kind of invasion.
Some global political powers already prepared it years ago, creating confusion
and wars in the Middle East by “helping” these terrorists or not opposing them
officially, thus – in a way – they contributed to this crisis. Transferring
such a mass of people, who are predominantly Muslims and belong to a very
different culture, to the heart of Europe is problematic. Thus there is a
programmed conflict in Europe and the civil and political life is destabilized.
This must be evident for everyone.
The Church and
Russia
Mr. Fülep: I would like to ask you about Russian
Orthodoxy and Russia. You know the Russian Orthodox church, their life and
mentality very well. Next year will be the 100th anniversary of Fatima. Russia
was beyond doubt not consecrated forthrightly to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
and is known not to have converted to God.[26]
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Well, we know the text which John Paul
II published. So it was in some way a consecration of Russia, which was
definitely not an explicit one. In the text he spoke of the countries and
nations which do need this consecration and which Maria wanted to be
consecrated to her. In was an allusion to Fatima, of course. So I would say it
was an indirect consecration of Russia. But I think it should also be done in
an explicit manner specifically mentioning Russia. So I hope that would be done
in the future.
Mr. Fülep: The Catholic Tradition and the holy
Catholic liturgy in usus antiquior could help real ecumenism with Orthodoxy.
But unfortunately they are appalled at the sight of the modern Latin usus. They
say that we are like Protestants. This is tragic if we think about the common
Apostolic Tradition which is to be found at the root of the Latin and Greek
liturgies. Does that promote efficient dialogue with the Eastern churches
without Catholic tradition?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Of course, that’s true. I often I have
contact with Orthodox clergy and they say it to me. This manner of the
celebration towards people, using women as lectors for example is more similar
to Protestant worship. The priest and the faithful form a closed circle, the
celebration is like a meeting and a conference, and also the informal aspects
during Mass are against the Catholic and Apostolic tradition which we have in
common with the Orthodox church. So it is true and I am convinced that when we
return to the traditional liturgy or at least celebrate the new order of Mass
in a traditional manner, we will come closer to our Orthodox brothers, too, at
least at the liturgical level. In 2001 John Paul II wrote a letter to the
Congregation of Divine Worship, in which he included a very interesting phrase.
He spoke about the traditional Roman liturgy, which is highly venerable and has
similarities to the venerable Eastern liturgies.[27]
Mr. Fülep: Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met in Havana, Cuba on 12 February
2001 to sign a historic joint declaration.[28]
This document includes 30 points, with only 3 referring to theological
questions, the rest to world peace, social issues, life protection, marriage,
environmental protection and religious freedom. What is the significance of
this meeting?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: The very fact that a Roman Pontiff and
a Russian Patriarch met for the first time in history is of special
significance. At the human and psychological level such a meeting removed
centuries-old mutual mistrust and alienation. So in this sense it was an
important meeting. The theological questions, however, were almost totally
excluded. The circumstances of the meeting had also a clearly political
dimension. We hope that Divine Providence will use this meeting for a future
unity in the entirety of the Catholic faith.
We have to
repent our sins
Mr. Fülep: Pope Francis opened the Iubilaeum
Extraordinarium Misericordiae[29], which is a period of prayer held from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), 2015 to the Feast of Christ the King (November 20), 2016. We can hear a
lot of
teachings and meditations about mercy. How do you interpret the mercy of God?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: The mercy of God is his love for us.
And the mercy of God was revealed to us when he came to us and became one of
us. It is the ineffable mercy of God that he decided to become man and redeemed
us on the cross. The mercy of God lies in the fact that he is always ready to
forgive us when we repent our sin sincerely. Jesus himself told Peter when he
asked him,[30] “when my
brother sins against me, shall I forgive him seven times”, and Jesus said, “not
seven times but seventy-seven times”, that is, every time your brother
sincerely asks you for forgiveness. Whenever we ask God to forgive our sins no
matter how great and horrible they are, he will forgive us provided that we
repent them sincerely, i.e. we are ready to avoid them in the future. But,
unfortunately, the group of Cardinal Kasper and those clerics who support his
theory, misinterpret and abuse the concept of mercy, introducing the
possibility that God forgives even when we do not have the firm intention to
repent and avoid the sin in the future. Ultimately, this means a complete
destruction of the true concept of divine mercy. Such a theory says: you can
continue to sin, God is merciful. This is a lie and in a way also a spiritual
crime because you are pushing the sinners to continue to sin, and to be
consequently lost and condemned for all eternity.
Mr. Fülep: What is the connection between the mercy
of the God and the Holy Eucharist? Is the Holy Sacrament the main sign of God’s
mercy as he gave himself vere, realiter et substantialiter?[31]
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Of course, it is. It is so because the
Holy Eucharist is the sacrament of the Cross of Christ, the sacrament of his
sacrifice, which is made present in every Holy Mass. The act of our redemption
becomes present, which is the greatest act of God’s mercy. So the Eucharist is
a demonstration and proclamation of the living mercy of God for us. But the
Eucharist contains not only the sacrifice of Christ but also the person of
Christ himself. His body and soul are really present and this is the most
sacred and holy reality which we have here on earth. We can only approach the
Holy One as a public sinner who said: "O, my Lord, I’m not worthy, but heal me,
purify me!” So the Eucharist is also the demonstration of the mercy of God, who
demands that we should be previously purified and washed from our sins. The
main and proper sacrament of mercy is, however, the sacrament of penance. The
Eucharist is the demonstration of the mercy of God, and it demands necessarily
the specific sacrament of mercy, which is the sacrament of penance, so that the
soul should be purified. The gate to mercy is the sacrament of penance: this is
the opened gate of the Heart of Jesus, when during the sacramental absolution
there flows from the Heart of Jesus His blood, which purifies the sinner. The
Holy Mass contains in itself the source of all other sacraments and this source
is the sacrifice of the Cross.
The Holy Spirit
is stronger
Mr. Fülep: The Summorum Pontificum motu proprio[32]
will be ten years old next year. Your Excellency has followed how this papal
law is observed worldwide. How do you assess the situation?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Of course, as a result of the motu
proprio, the traditional liturgy started to spread slowly but very strongly.
Such a movement cannot be stopped anymore. It is already so strong, especially
in the young generations: the youth, seminarians, young families. They want to
experience the beauty of the Catholic faith through this liturgy, and this is
for me a real sign of the work of the Holy Spirit, because this is spreading so
naturally and slowly, without the help of the official structures of the
Church, without the help of the nomenclature. Often, this movement has to face
even opposition from the official representatives of the Church. Regardless the
obstruction on the part of the ecclesiastical bureaucracy, it is growing and
spreading, and this is for me the work of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit
is stronger than some bishops and cardinals and some well-established
ecclesiastical structures.
"Lex
credendi – lex orandi – lex vivendi"
Mr. Fülep: There are
many traditionalists who see only the beauty of the liturgy, and they do not
care about the doctrine. Formalism, ritualism and perfectionism are very
dangerous because these errors separate doctrinal truth, life and liturgy. How
can we avoid these troubles?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: There is
the basic Catholic principle which says: “Lex credendi est lex orandi”. That
means, that the law of the faith, the Catholic truth has to be expressed in the
law of the prayer, in the public worship of the Church. [33]
The texts and the rites of the liturgy have to reflect the integrity and beauty
of the Catholic faith and divine truths. When we love the beauty of the
liturgy, its traditional form, we should be touched in our soul and in our mind
to love the Catholic truth more and live them in our daily Christian life. A
true Catholic has to love first the integrity of the faith, and from this love
comes the integrity of the liturgy and from this love comes the integrity of
morals. So we could expand the traditional axiom saying: "Lex credendi – lex
orandi – lex vivendi”. The care and the defence of the integrity of the
Catholic faith has to be done, however, always according to the principle
"sentire cum ecclesia”, that is, with respect and love.
"Non possumus!"
Mr. Fülep: During the time of John Paul II, the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued an instruction
entitled “Redemptionis Sacramentum” on certain matters to be observed or to be
avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist.[34]
This document prescribes, that "if any communicant should wish to
receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with
the recognition of the
Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to
him or her. However, special care should be taken to ensure that the host is
consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one
goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If there is a risk of
profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the
faithful.”[35]
We believe in the doctrine of the Real
Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ
in the Holy Eucharist. To give the Holy
Sacrament in the hand risks dropping small
fragments of it and profanizing the Most Holy.[36] From Your
Excellency’s book we know that the ancient practice was absolutely different
from the current protestant form. When asked to give the Holy Communion to the
hand, is "Non possumus” the only adequate answer of priests, deacons or extraordinary
ministers?[37]
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: Yes. I completely agree with this. I
have nothing to add, because this is so evident. First and foremost, we have to
defend our Lord. This is a matter of fact that almost during every distribution
of Holy Communion in the hand there is a real danger of loss of fragments. So
we cannot give Holy Communion in the hand. This is too dangerous. We have to
decide to protect and defend our Lord. The law of the Church is subordinated to
the good of the Church. And in this case the letter of the law – allowing
giving Communion in the hand – is causing great spiritual damage to the Most
Holy in the Church, that is, our Lord in the Eucharist. So giving Communion in
the hand is dangerous and damaging the Church. Therefore we cannot follow this
law. In practice it is, of course, difficult because in some places people are
already accustomed to taking the Holy Communion in the hand. However, we should
explain it to them previously with much conviction and love, and usually the
majority will accept it. So we have to do our best to achieve this.
Mr. Fülep: What if the superiors don’t allow
seminarians, acolytes or extraordinary ministers to do so?
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: I would prefer not to give Communion in
hand. And if the superior compelled me to do so, I would say: "I can’t”. I have
to tell the superior that I have a conscience, too.
Regnum
Eucharisticum
Mr. Fülep: Over the past few days Your Excellency has
had the opportunity to meet the cream of Hungarian traditional Catholics and
Hungarian traditional priests in your conferences and Holy Mass. We visited the
Parliament and prayed in front of the Holy Hungarian Crown and the Holy Right
Hand of King Saint Stephen. What is your impression of the Regnum Marianum?[38]
His Excellency
Bishop Schneider: It is such a nice country! I see such
beautiful villages and churches everywhere! This trip shows to me that this is
a Catholic country. And I hope that the Hungarians will be faithful to Regnum
Marianum so that your country can really be ruled by Our Lady. And the reign of
Christ is always realized through Mary. So when you are a Regnum Marianum, your should be a Regnum Eucharisticum, too. I wish the love, reverence and defense
of our Eucharistic Lord also grew in Hungary.
Footnotes
by Dániel Fülep
Interview
made and published by
JOHN
HENRY NEWMAN CENTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, HUNGARY
newman.hu
Regnum Eucharisticum, Conference Proceedings
© Athanasius Schneider, Fülep Dániel ISBN 978 615 80263 6 9
The text can be freely
copied, distributed or otherwise used,
subject to proper
acknowledgement of the source and Rorate Caeli
[1] The Syllabus of
Errors (Syllabus Errorum) is a document issued by the Holy See under Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1864, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, on the same day the Pope's encyclical Quanta cura was released. It listed the positions of the Church on a number of
philosophical and political areas, and referred to the Church's teaching on
these matters as given in a number of documents issued previously. It is important
as it was widely interpreted as an attack by the Church on modernism,
secularization and political emancipation.
[2] Catholic
Culture (Catholic World News). January 21, 2011.
[3] actual participation
[5] Sacrosanctum
Concilium, the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, is one of the constitutions of
the Second Vatican
Council.
It was approved by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,147 to 4 and
promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963.
[6] Dei verbum (Dogmatic
Constitution on Divine Revelation) was promulgated during the Second Vatican
Council by Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965, following
approval by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,344 to 6. It is one of the
principal documents of the Second Vatican Council.
[7] http://thepopevideo.org/en/video/interreligious-dialogue.html
[8] Cf. Mk 16,16
[9] Cf. Jn 3,4–6.
[10] Cf. “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we
cry, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Rom 8,15)
[11] The Neocatechumenal
Way (Neocatechumenate, NCW) is an organization dedicated to the Christian
formation of people. It was formed in Madrid in 1964 by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández.
[12] The community mixes
the liturgy of the Church with Protestant and Jewish elements.
[13] The movement has long
wanted to have the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
approve its liturgical abuses. Following consultations with the Congregation,
it was the Pontifical Council for the Laity that approved the Catechetical
Directory of the Neocathecumenal Way and the extra-liturgical practices
therein. Therefore this permission applies only to non-liturgical practices. The
decree of 20 January 2012 has nothing to do with the “liturgical innovations”
of the Neocathecumenal Way, which should promptly be terminated because they
are against the universal rules and practice of the Church.
[14] The
Council of Trent (1545–63) declared as a dogma that, as opposed to the
Protestant view, the sacrifice of the Holy Mass does include a propitiatory
element (DH 1743, 1753). The sacrifice was ordered by Christ himself. It is not
only simple commemoration, glorification or thanksgiving but a real propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.
The fact, however, that the mass is a real sacrifice isn’t to say that Christ’s
sacrifice must be repeated. The Church does not turn Christ’s sacrifice into a
pagan human sacrifice. The sacrifice of the Holy Mass is not a repetition of
the sacrifice of the Cross but Christ’s only sacrifice made present under
sacramental signs. In this sense it is “commemoration”, in which the reality of
the sacramental economy itself is present (DH 1740). Christ is the same high
priest in the Holy Mass as on the cross (DH 1743).
[15] The
liturgy of the Neocathecumenal Way does not comply with the General Instruction
of the Roman Missal or the other liturgical rules but has its own ”liturgical
innovations”. The liturgical practice of the Way is full of abuses: in fact the
Vatican has called the attention of the movement to problems like laity sermons
in their Holy Mass, the faithful dancing during liturgy and standing rather
than kneeling during Eucharistic prayer, receiving Holy Communion sitting and
passing a huge chalice with Christ’s blood in it from hand to hand. Regulations
on church music are completely ignored. Another problem is that the Way
separates the faithful from the parish and the church: the Sunday Holy Mass,
which is full of abuses, is always celebrated Saturday evening as the "Private
Mass” of the community, usually not in a church but at a profane place, e.g. in
a community room.
[16] On
13 June 313 Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, ending the persecution of
Christians and acknowledging Christianity as a valid religion of the Roman
Empire. In 315 he terminated crucifixion as a form of execution and granted all
the privileges of pagan religions to the Church. In 321 Constantine declared
Sunday as a holiday. As an absolute ruler he helped to establish the
institutional basis of the Church throughout the Empire from 324. The
establishment of the institutional structure and the social-political
strengthening of the Church as well as the alliance of throne and altar are
considered by Protestants as the victory of paganism.
[17] Humanae vitae (Of
Human Life) is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July
1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the orthodox teaching
of the Catholic Church regarding married love,
responsible parenthood and the continued rejection of most forms of birth
control.
[18]
Nostra aetate (In our Time) is the Declaration of the Second
Vatican Council on
the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions. Passed by a vote of
2,221 to 88 of the assembled bishops,
this declaration was promulgated on October 28, 1965, by Pope
Paul VI. The first draft, entitled Decretum
de Iudaeis (Decree on the Jews), was completed in
November 1961, approximately fourteen months after Cardinal Bea was
commissioned by Pope John XXIII.
This draft essentially went nowhere, never having been submitted to the
Council, which opened on 11 October 1962.
[19]
Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, “The gifts and the calling of
God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29), A reflection on theological questions
pertaining to Catholic-Jewish relations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary
of “Nostra aetate”. (10 December 2015)
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/relations-jews-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20151210_ebraismo-nostra-aetate_en.html
[20] Ibid 40.
[21] “Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt
28,19–20).
[22] Cf. Mt 28,19.
[23] Cf. “Jesus said to
him, »I am the way and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me«”. (Jn 14,6).
[25] Pope John Paul II organized the first World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi,
Italy, on October 27, 1986. Altogether there were 160 religious leaders
spending the day together fasting and praying to their God or gods. Pope John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI, travelled to
Assisi on Thursday, October 27, 2011 for an ecumenical discussion to
commemorate the 1986 meeting. But there was no single interdenominational
prayer service, reflecting Pope Benedict XVI's view that, while such gatherings
are good, one cannot give the impression – even externally, interpreted by
others – that theological differences do not matter.
[26] “The third part of the secret refers to Our
Lady's words: ‘If not, [Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world,
causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the
Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated'
(13-VII-1917). … If my
requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not,
she will spread her errors throughout the world, etc.”
[27] “The
Sacred Liturgy, which the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium considers the
summit of the life of the Church, can never be reduced to a merely aesthetic
reality, neither can it be considered an instrument whose aims are mainly
pedagogical or ecumenical. The celebration of the Sacred Mysteries is, first of
all, an act of praise of the Sovereign Majesty of God, Three in One, an
expression willed by God Himself. … The celebration of the Liturgy is an act of
the virtue of religion that, consistent with its nature, must be characterized
by a profound sense of the sacred. In this, man and the entire community must
be aware of being, in a special way, in the presence of Him who is three times
holy and transcendent. Consequently, the attitude of imploring cannot but be
permeated by reverence and by the sense of awe that comes from knowing that one
is in the presence of the majesty of God. Did God not want to express this when
He ordered Moses to take off his sandals before the burning bush? Did not the
attitude of Moses and Eli who dared not look at God facie ad faciem [face to face] arise from this awareness?
The People of God need to see priests and deacons behave in a way that is full
of reverence and dignity, in order to help them to penetrate invisible things
without unnecessary words or explanations. In the Roman Missal of Saint Pius V,
as in several Eastern liturgies, there are very beautiful prayers through which
the priest expresses the most profound sense of humility and reverence before
the Sacred Mysteries: they reveal the very substance of the Liturgy.” In his address to the
plenary assembly of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of
the Sacraments on September 21, 2001, Pope John Paul II strongly emphasized
that faithful translation of liturgical books is of paramount importance. He
also urged appropriate catechesis concerning popular devotions, which should
always lead people to greater understanding of the Mass. Adoremus,
Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy. Online Edition – Vol.
VII, No. 9: December 2001 – January 2002.
[28] http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02/12/
joint_declaration_of_pope_francis_and_patriarch_kirill/1208117
[29] Extraordinary Jubilee
of Mercy
[30] “Then Peter
asked him, ‘Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I say to you, not seven times but
seventy-seven times’” (Mt 18,
21–22).
[31] Truly, really and
substantially, cf. DH 1637.
[32] Summorum Pontificum (Of the Supreme
Pontiffs) is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued motu proprio (on his own initiative), dated 7 July 2007 and in
force since 14 September 2007. It was released along with a letter in which
Pope Benedict explained his reasons for issuing it, by which he specified the
circumstances in which priests of the Latin Church may celebrate Mass according to what he called the “Missal promulgated
by Blessed John XXIII in 1962” (one of the latest editions of the Roman Missal, which is known as the Traditional Latin
Mass), and
administer most of the sacraments in the form used before the liturgical
reforms following the Second Vatican
Council. With the
approval of Pope Benedict XVI, the Pontifical
Commission Ecclesia Dei issued the instruction Universae Ecclesiae on 30 April 2011, the feast of Saint Pius V, to clarify some aspects of Summorum
Pontificum.
[33] In this
formulation, his Excellency paraphrases the principle “lex orandi, lex credendi”,
i.e. ‘the law of prayer is the law of belief’, which goes back to the time of
St. Augustine, meaning that if you want to know what the Church believes, you
must know how she prays because her belief and prayer can never contradict each
other. Although the principle primarily concerns liturgical prayers, it is
applicable to other officially approved prayers, too, therefore the official
prayers of the Church are to be considered as authentic sources of Catholic
dogma.
[34] This Instruction, prepared by the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments by mandate
of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II in collaboration with the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, was approved by the same Pontiff on the Solemnity of
St. Joseph, 19 March 2004, and he ordered it to be published and to be observed
immediately by all concerned.
[35] Ibid 92.
[36] This manner is just a
special discount (indultum). It is
important to note that according to the currently effective rules, too, the
faithful should normally receive Holy Communion kneeling, cf. RS 90.
[37] As the Martyrs of Abitinae put it:
“Sine dominico non possumus” – we
cannot live without this thing of the Lord.
[38] Regnum Marianum (Mary’s Land) is an old Catholic name
of Hungary. It
means Kingdom (Country) of Mary. The name comes from the tradition that the
first Hungarian king, Saint
Stephen, dying without a heir, offered the Holy
Hungarian Crown and the country to the Virgin Mary. Since then the
Virgin Mary has been the true Queen of the Hungarian Catholic Kingdom. The name
Regnum Marianum was often used for emphasizing a strong connection between
Hungary and the Catholic Church.
